John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It has been documented repeatedly in the past year by professional bodies and patient representative groups that there have been increased challenges in obtaining medical cards when these dread diseases occur. We all understand the economic context in which we are operating, but this is an issue that should be reviewed.

I am grateful to the Leader for his help at every stage in our efforts to progress our Bill proposing a ban on smoking in cars where children are present. However, several statements by the Minister in the past week have caused a little confusion in my mind in this regard. The Minister seemed to refer to the introduction of new legislation, whereas my understanding is that Report Stage is ordered in this House next week in respect of the existing Bill that Senators Mark Daly, Jillian van Turnhout and I brought forward two years ago and which has passed Committee Stage. As I said, the Leader has been extraordinarily helpful in assisting us thus far. I would be very grateful for a clarification from him at this time.

For those of us who are of an age to remember certain events that took place 31 years ago, it was very difficult to read the newspapers this morning and not feel one had been journeying in a time machine. There certainly is a degree of repetition in some aspects of the news coverage today. However, the issue that struck me the most in this regard was not the ongoing discussion about gardaí, bugging, Ministers or Attorneys General - although it did ring a 31 year old bell for me - but the news that consultants at Waterford Regional Hospital have contacted GPs in the area to tell them not to send on any cases unless they are considered really urgent - skin cancer cases, for example - because the consultants cannot cope with the volume of work. Thirty years into an ongoing discussion of the various deficiencies in our health system, we still have this problem. It is grounds for despondency in the minds of people who have been trying to address those deficiencies to hear this type of statement. What other business in the world tells its customers to go some place else?